A Camping We Will Go
by westernlove
Summary: When Darry, Soda, and Pony get into another fight Darry decides that they need to get away from Tulsa for awhile so he takes his kid brothers camping...big mistake! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**You never see Darry, Soda, or Pony out of their natural environment so I decided to change that and see how it would go. Please R&R, it means a lot!**

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Pony's POV

"Ponyboy Curtis, get your butt in here!"

Darry's shout could be heard clear around the block. What had I done now? I was just sitting in my room doing my homework, so what could I have possibly done? Darry had been yelling at me way to often. I pushed myself out of my chair and carefully walked out into the kitchen. Darry was standing there, looking like a big scary guy that was ready to clobber his kid brother. I tried to look innocent, but I didn't think it was working.

"Did you eat all of the chocolate cake?" he demanded.

Since I'm a lousy liar I found no need to even try so I just nodded. Darry flung his arms in the air and I flinched, thinking that he was gonna smack me, but he didn't.

"Ponyboy, what did I tell you about eating so many sweets?! The last time we went to the dentist you had three cavities and I had to pay for every stinking one!" Darry yelled.

"I'm sorry, Darry," I said quietly.

Darry shook his head. "Pony, what am I gonna do with you? You can't use your head and I had to take on a second job just so I could pay for your teeth and the medical supplies for all the fights you've been in!"

Anger boiled in my veins. He had no right to holler at me the way he was! It wasn't my fault the socs like to beat me up!

"Well I'm sorry I've been such a burden!" I screamed, "Why don't I just make your life easier by leaving? Huh? Would that make you happy?!"

"Would you two just shut up?!"

I swiveled around to see Soda enter the room. He had a hurt expression on his face and his thumps were hooked to his jeans.

"Stay outta this, Soda," I snapped.

"Ponyboy, fix your attitude, I'm sick and tired of you always disobeying me and then yelling at me," Darry said.

I was so angry that I spat in Darry's direction and then stormed out of the house, slamming the screen behind me. I heard Darry and Soda hollering at me and each other, but I paid no mind. I hitched my thumps in my pockets and kicked an empty beer bottle that lay in my way. I spat on the sidewalk and continued stomping down the street.

Why'd Darry always have to holler at me? And now Soda was hollering at me too. How come everyone was getting mad at me? It was cause I was the youngest, it gave em an excuse to go and pick on me.

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Darry's POV

I sat down on the couch next to Soda, rubbing a hand over my face. Why had I gotten so mad at Pony? Yeah, the kid shouldn't have gone and disobeyed me, but that didn't give me any call to go and chew him out. Soda, Pony and I had been getting into so many fights for the past two weeks and I knew that it was tearing us apart. I exhaled slowly and put my elbows on my knees. This had to stop. I had to quit hollering so much.

I had an idea. I got to my feet and snatched the keys to my truck off of the coffee table.

"Soda, get in the truck," I said.

"How come?" he asked.

"We're gonna go find, Pony," I told him.

"Oh, come on, Darry; let the kid blow off some steam."

"Soda, just get in the truck, I have an idea."

Without another word Soda stood and followed my outside. I jumped in behind the wheel while Soda sat in the seat next to me. I started up the engine and rolled out onto the road. I had no idea where Pony would have gone. I kept an eye out while I slowly drove down the streets. Finally I spotted him. He was shuffling along the sidewalk, a smoke in one hand. I pulled up beside him and slowed my speed down so that I was right in pace with my kid brother.

"Pony, get in the truck," I ordered.

He didn't reply, he just kept walking, his eyes glued in front of him. I tightened my grip on the wheel. I didn't need this from him right now.

"Pony, I said get in the truck," I repeated.

"I ain't coming home with you, Darry," Pony said.

"Come on, Ponyboy, just get in the truck, Darry said he's got an idea," Soda spoke.

"An idea for what?" Pony demanded.

"Ponyboy, just get in the truck and I'll explain in when we get home," I told him.

"Fine," he gave in.

I stopped the truck and he went around to the back. I heard the tailgate open and then close. I figured that he was still mad at me and didn't want to sit inside the truck.

I drove home and we all got out and went inside. I took a seat on the couch next to Soda while Pony sat on the other side of the room.

"Well, what's your idea, Darry?" Soda asked.

"The three of us have been fighting an awful lot lately," I said, "so I decided that we're gonna get out of Tulsa for a week. We're gonna go camping."

"Camping?!" Pony and Soda yelled in union.

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**So that was then end of chapter 1, what did y'all think? please let me know. Also, if you have a request of what should happen on the trip please PM me and i'll consider it. Have a nice day and stay golden!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two! Thanks you to the people who reviewed, it means a lot! Please R&R and enjoy.**

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Soda's POV

"Camping?!" Pony and I shouted at the same time.

"Darry, you can't be serious!" I exclaimed, "You really want us to go out into the wilderness and sleep in a tent?"

"Soda, we've been fighting way to much for my liking so we're gonna do this, and there is no getting out of it," Darry said.

I slumped in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. I really didn't want to leave Tulsa. And besides how was Darry gonna get the time off to take us camping? I decided to voice this question.

"Darry, how are you gonna get the tome off to take us camping?" I asked.

Darry stood up and walked towards the phone.

"I'll call my boss right now," he told me.

"Good luck with that," I muttered.

Darry's boss was strict and I doubted very much that he would let Darry have time off just to go camping. While Darry was on the phone I glanced at Pony. His brow was furrowed and he did not look one bit happy about having to go camping. Darry came back a few minutes later with a smile on his face.

"Good news, my boss gave me the week off and we're going camping," he said.

"Hurray," I mumbled with fake enthusiasm.

"Soda, we need this, all three of us. Now you and Pony get packed cause we're leaving in the morning," Darry said.

I guess there was no getting out of it. I climbed up from the couch and walked back to my room, Pony right behind me. I grabbed a duffel bag out from under my bed and shoved in a few T-shirts and jeans. There was still room when I was done so Pony put his things in there too.

"How come we gotta go, Soda?" Pony asked.

"Cause Darry said so," I told him.

Ponyboy sighed and finished tossing his things into the bag. I knew exactly how he felt. I mean, I liked Darry and all, but I really didn't want to spend a whole week with just him and the wilderness. Of course Pony would be there, but come on, no Steve? No Two-Bit? No Dally? No Johnny? This was gonna be sheer torture.

Nothing exciting happened that night, we ate dinner, we watched TV and we went to bed, nothing outta the ordinary. I crawled into bed next to Pony and draped my arm over his shoulder. He snuggled closer to me and exhaled slowly.

"Night, Soda," he whispered.

"Night, Pony," I said.

And we both dropped off to sleep.

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Pony's POV

"Come on you two, get outta the bed!"

I jolted into consciousness and fell onto the floor with a start. My heart was hammering and I was trying to catch my breath. I look up to see Darry with a huge grin on his face. I rolled my eyes and pushed up to my feet.

"Golly, Darry what are you trying to do? Scare us to death?" Soda grumbled.

He had landed on the other side of the bed and was now on his feet.

"That was the idea kid brother, now get dressed cause we're leaving in ten minutes," Darry said.

I groaned and stumbled over to the closet. I was still groggy and my movements were sluggish. I pulled on a pair of ripped jeans and a white T-shirt, throwing a jean jacket on as well. After I tied on my sneakers I walked into the bathroom and greased my hair. I didn't care that we were going out into the wilderness; I still wanted my hair greased. A few moments later Soda came in and shoved me out of the small bathroom.

"Move it, Pony, I still gotta grease my hair," he told me.

We were both ready in eight minutes flat and since Darry was ready we grabbed our gear and went out to the truck. We tossed out things in the back and the jumped in. Darry was behind the wheel and Soda sat in between him and me. Darry started the engine and we rolled out onto the road.

The drive was long and boring. I planted my cheek on the window and huffed a sigh. Darry glanced at me through the corner of his eye.

"Come on, Pony, this will be good for us," he assured me.

I wasn't convinced. We had only been camping once before and that had turned out to be a big mess. Mom and Dad were still alive and I had been twelve. A bear had attacked our camp and then Soda had fallen in the lake, (Soda can't swim), and then I got attacked by a million bees. That was a memory that I wish I could just forget.

I was pretty sure that Soda still remembered it, cause I knew that he wasn't too thrilled about coming camping. I finally replied to Darry.

"Alright, Darry, but if anything happens, I'm blaming you," I said.

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**Sorry it was so short, but please don't let that stop you from reviewing! And if you still want to see something specific in the story please let me know. Stay golden!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three! I got another chapter for y'all and I hope you like it. Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I probably wouldn't have even continued this story had it not been for you guys, y'all are awesome! Please R&R**.

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Darry's POV

I pulled the truck in-between a group of trees and parked it. I looked at Soda and Pony. Soda was slouching deep into his seat, frowning, and Pony was leaning against the window. I knew that they didn't want to do this and I was pretty sure why. I still remembered that camping trip with Mom and Dad, but this one was gonna be different. I opened the door and slid out onto the ground.

"Come on you two, we still have a hike up to where we're gonna stay," I told them.

Pony grumbled and opened the door, climbing out with Soda right behind him. I grabbed my large pack from the back of the truck and strapped it onto my back. I knew that all Soda and Pony were gonna pack was cloths and hair grease so I had to bring an extra big pack for food, the tent and other things that might come in handy when camping. I had also grabbed a smaller pack that contained a couple first-aid kits and blankets. I handed it to Pony.

"Here, you carry this one," I said.

Pony took it from me and slung it over his shoulder without a word. Soda grabbed the bag that he and Pony had brought and then we started up the trail. The silence was starting to unnerve me a bit after about ten minutes. Were Soda and Pony seriously this mad about coming? I thought it would be good for all of us, but now I wasn't so sure. Soda was shuffling along beside me and Pony was lagging a bit. Would it be better if we just turned back now? No, this would be good for us.

Since we had spent most of the day driving we didn't make it up to the campsite until the sun was starting to set. We pitched the tent, or rather I did, and then I had Soda build a fire.

"Darry can we eat now?" Pony asked, "We didn't even get to have lunch and I'm starving!"

"Sure, buddy," I said.

I dug around in my pack and pulled out a bag of dried jerky. I grabbed what I wanted and then tossed it to Soda and Pony. Soda stared at the bag in disgust.

"This is dinner? Darry, this wouldn't have filled me up when I was three," Soda complained.

"Sorry, little buddy, but there just isn't a whole lot of food that you can take on a camping trip." I told him.

He sighed and pulled out a strip of jerky before handing the bag to Pony. For the longest while we just sat there in front of the fire, not saying anything. This wasn't working like I had planned. This was supposed to be a time where I could bond with my kid brothers, but instead I was getting the silent treatment for bringing them up here.

Something rustled in the bushes and Pony jumped up with a yelped. Soda and I also stood and I shifted my gaze towards the moving brush.

"It's a bear!" Pony howled.

He ran back and forth, waving his hands in the air and yelling at the top of his lungs. My heart was doing jumping jacks as I slowly moved away from the bushes. Soda grabbed hold the back of Pony's shirt and held our kid brother behind him in a protective manner. Our eyes were locked on that bush. Suddenly something jumped out and all three of us cried out. Then I saw what it was. A white rabbit. A harmless white rabbit! Glory, we were scared of that?! Pony was still yelling when Soda slapped a hand over his mouth.

"It's a rabbit, Pony," he said.

Pony stopped screaming and we all just stood there for a moment before letting out in howling laughter. I was laughing so hard that tears watered in my eyes. I wasn't sure if we were laughing cause it was funny, cause we were so relieved that it wasn't a bear.

After laughing hysterically for about five minutes we all collapsed around the fire, trying to catch our breaths. I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed like that. My sides were aching and tears were streaming down my cheeks.

We laid there for a long while, just looking up at the stars that cascaded across the darkened sky. It was so peaceful, so different from Tulsa. At night we would usually hear sirens or people fighting on the street, here it was so much different. The only sounds that could be heard were crickets and the slight breeze that drifted through the trees. Pony crawled up from the ground and started for the tent.

"I'm going to sleep," he mumbled tiredly.

"Me too," Soda said, following Pony to the tent.

I decided to sit by the fire for a while, just listening to the silence. Soon after Soda and Pony had left I heard Soda's loud snoring coming from the tent. I smiled and chuckled a bit. So much for the silence. I stirred the fire one last time before heading for the tent and falling asleep to the sound of Soda's rumbling breaths.

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Soda's POV

I woke up to something nudging my face. I was still groggy and I didn't want to open my eyes.

"Pony, get your hand off my face," I muttered.

I felt it again and I pushed it away.

"That's it, Pony," I said.

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw were beady eyes staring back at me. That woke me up. I cried out and shot into a sitting position. The rabbit got scared when I yelled and it ran off. I exhaled and ran a hand over my face. The great outdoors. Darry said this was gonna be good for us, but all that the woods had managed to do is scare the daylights outta us. Pony was still asleep next to me. I was guessing that he didn't get much sleep last night either. Somehow I had managed to sleep right on top of a rock all night. Either I had terrible luck, or these woods were out to get me.

I gave Pony's shoulder a shake and he groaned. I tried again only to get the same response.

"Pony, wake up," I said.

"Go away," he mumbled.

"Pony, come on get up," I commanded.

"Soda, five more minutes?" he begged.

Just then Darry poked his head in. He was smiling and his hair hung in his face.

"Rise and shine you two," he said in an all-too-cheerful voice.

Pony moaned and pushed into a sitting position, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked like a zombie. Black circles rimmed his eyes and his hair was a messed up and dried drool caked the sides of his mouth. Ponyboy was defiantly not a morning person.

"Go away, Darry, it's too early!" Pony exclaimed.

"Sorry baby brother, but you're getting up," Darry said.

Pony laid back down and covered his head with the single blanket that he had slept with. Darry shook his head, reached over and yanked the blanket out of Pony's reach.

"Fine, I'm up," Pony gave in.

Pony and I got changed while Darry got breakfast ready. I was seriously hoping it wasn't dried jerky again. That stuffs nasty; it's like chewing on a balloon.

I crawled out of the tent and Pony followed. Darry was holding a skillet over the fire. I walked over to him, my thumbs hooked in my pockets. I looked down at the concoction that my big brother was cooking up. Bread. He had put bread in skillet and was now holding it over the fire.

"That's breakfast?" I demanded.

"Yep," Darry answered.

"That's all we get?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Darry, I'm going to die of starvation before the weeks over!" I nearly shouted.

"Sodapop, stop complaining and eat," Darry ordered.

I took a seat on the ground next to Pony and grabbed up a piece of the toast, shoving it in my mouth. I felt like I was eating sawdust.

After 'breakfast' Pony went for a walk while I helped Darry clean up camp a bit. Actually, Pony went for a walk while I watched Darry clean up camp a bit. I sat on a long drawing in the dirt with a stick. Time went by so slowly and I was pretty sure if this kept up I was gonna go insane! I got up and paced back and forth. That's what I was doing when I heard the scream.

"Daaaarrrrryyyyy!"

I jerked my head up. That was Pony! My baby brother came barreling out of the trees, screaming his head off. Darry was at my side now and we watched as out kid brother come racing towards us. And that was when I saw the bees. Pony had a swarm of very angry bees' right behind him! Pony reached us and the three of us took off running and yelling. We reached a lake and Darry and Pony jumped in. I hesitated. The water didn't look that deep, but I had had a bad experience with lakes. The sting to my butt gave me the extra little push I needed and I jumped into the water with a yelp. I struggled at first, but then found that I was able to stand up. The bees were right above us now and the three of us dove under the surface.

The water was cold, but I was thankful that I could stand in it. My heart was still hammering in panic though. When my lungs began to beg for mercy I surfaced with a gasp. I guess the bees had decided to give up, cause they were gone. Darry, Pony and I sloshed onto the shore and collapsed, panting hard.

"Pony, what did you do?" I demanded between heaves.

"Sorry, Soda, I guess I wasn't thinking when I poked the hive with a stick," Pony said.

I slapped my forehead and let my face fall into the dirt.

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**Well what'd you think? Love it? Hate it? Burn it? Let me know. Stay golden!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another Chapter done and finished! Whoop, whoop! Again, I want to thank you guys for the wonderful reviews! This story would not even be here if it weren't for you guys.**

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Pony's POV

I was actually surprised that Darry only had to dig three stingers outta me. Two bees had gotten me in the left leg and the other got my left arm. Darry was lecturing as he pulled the stingers from my skin. After I was all bandaged up it was Soda turn. I left the tent since Soda to completely strip down. I heard him let out a howl and I winced, as if feeling the pain myself. A few minutes later Soda came out of the tent, his clothes back on and a frown on his face.

"Pony, don't ever go messing with beehives again," he told me.

I nodded, but couldn't help but smile a little as I had a flashback of the last time I did it. Sometimes I just don't think and it always gets me into trouble.

Since we had taken a little dip in the lake all three of us had to change into dry clothes. It was around noon. How did I know this? Because my stomach was yelling at me.

"Darry, I'm hungry," I said, "and please tell me we have other things besides Jerky and toast."

"Yeah, I don't want to eat anymore balloons or sawdust," Soda agreed.

I stifled a laugh. Darry came out of the tent and started digging around in his pack.

"Pony, you go get some wood so we can build a fire," Darry said.

I walked off into the trees, hoping that Darry had something appetizing in his pack. I stepped over fallen trees and did my best to avoid beehives. I gathered sticks in my arms as I went. Once my arms were completely full I headed back. I dropped the wood in a while and Soda went to work building the fire. I glanced over at Darry. He still didn't have anything out of the pack yet.

The fire was blazing within minutes and Darry finally pulled something out of his pack. Hot dogs! Yes, something tasty and edible! Soda scowled at Darry.

"Where were those when we were eating balloons?" he demanded.

Darry laughed. "Sorry, Soda, I wanted to save them."

"Well get them weenies on the fire cause I'm starving!" Soda exclaimed.

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**Sorry it was so short, but my brain just died. Please review, cause it really means a lot to me. I need some idea for more funny things that should happen to the Curtis's on this trip so if you have an idea please PM me. Stay golden and I'll update ASAP.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five, I promise this one will be longer. Thanks for the reviews guys, y'all are awesome! Enjoy and please don't forget to R&R.**

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Darry's POV

After lunch I packed up the leftovers and stowed them away in my pack. I was a little disappointed that my brothers and I weren't bonding as fast as I had hoped. I thought that if I brought them out here and it was just the three of us that we would just get along really well. We hadn't fought since we had been here though, so I counted that as a victory. I just wish I didn't have to endure Soda's balloon and sawdust jokes.

"Hey guys, you wanna hike up to the falls?" I asked.

I had read somewhere that there was a waterfall somewhere around here and I thought it would be cool to see one. Soda looked up at me with a bright grin.

"Hike? As in walking? As in left, right, left, right?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Yes, Sodapop as in left, right, left, right," I answered.

"Well then I'm out," Soda said, leaning his back against a long.

"Come on Soda, exercise ain't gonna kill you," Pony said.

"Yes it will, didn't you hear about that dude that just keeled over dead from walking?" Soda asked.

"Soda, that guy was eighty-something-years-old!" I exclaimed.

"Your point?"

I walked over and grabbed the back of my brother's shirt, pulling him to his feet. When I let go Soda huffed and smoothed the wrinkles out of his clothes.

"Alright, alright, I'll come," he said.

I could tell he was enjoying annoying me cause he had a wide, maniac grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Pone, you in?" I asked.

"You bet!" Pony said.

He hopped up from where he had been sitting and took off into the trees. I smiled and shook my head.

"Pony, the falls are the other way!" I called.

He came running back and kept running, this time in the other direction.

"I knew that!" he yelled.

I chuckled a bit and followed my baby brother through the woods. Soda followed with the grin still plastered on his face. I was glad that there were plenty of trees around cause it would have been really hot without em. Ponyboy was far ahead of us now, but I made sure not to loose sight of him, cause you never know what might be prowling around in these trees. The hike took a couple of hours and we had to stop several times for a breather. We finally made it to the top and let me tell you, the long hike was worth it. The water rushed over the rocks and landed in the creek below. The sun caught off the water, revealing a perfect rainbow.

"Whoa!" Pony breathed.

"I second that," Soda grinned.

I smiled. I had to agree with them, this place was defiantly whoa. Pony walked towards the edge and my smile faltered.

"Pony, don't get so close," I warned.

Just as the words left my mouth Ponyboy stepped on a wet rock and his feet slipped out from under him. Times seemed to slow down as I watched my baby brother tumble through the air. Soda lurched forward and caught the back of Pony's shirt. Pony hung above the water, his only anchor was Soda. His shirt began to slip off of his body and I leapt for him, grabbing his wrist as his shirt came off completely.

I hung on to him for all I was worth. He looked up at me with big, terrified eyes, his jaw hanging open. I gave a strong heave and pulled my baby brother back onto the solid ground. We all just sat there, panting. Pony was dripping wet from the spray of the waterfall and he was shaking from the scare. Soda handed him his shirt and Pony pulled it over his wet hair. I placed a trembling hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, Ponyboy?" I demanded.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up. Sorry, Darry, I shouldn't have gotten so close," he said.

I slumped in relief. At least he was alright! I slowly climbed to my feet.

"Come on you two, I want to get back to camp before it gets dark," I told them.

Soda helped Pony to his feet and we started for the camp. The walk back was much easier considering it was mostly all downhill. Once we reached the campsite I set Soda out for some wood while Pony changed outta his wet clothes. That was the second time today that he's changed clothes. I smiled in amusement. That just showed that Pony couldn't stay outta trouble. Soda came back with the wood and I started making dinner.

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Soda's POV

The three of us sat around the fire eating the hot dogs that Darry had cooked. It was really quiet and it was starting to make me nervous.

"Hey why don't we tell some stories?" I suggested.

"What kinda stories?" Pony asked.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Hey Darry, remember that time that Pony ran around with only a diaper and cowboy boots?"

Darry laughed. "How could I forget?"

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**Flashback**

A two-year-old Ponyboy came bursting into the room, being chased by a none-too-happy mommy. Pony was giggling and stamping around in the too big cowboy boots. Mom tried to catch up to Pony, but he just kept wiggling out of her arms.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, put some cloths on!" Mom shouted.

Dad came into the room and laughed when he saw his youngest son tugging at his diaper. Mom glared at him and planted her fists on her hips.

"Darryl, get your son and put him in some cloths!" Mom snapped.

"Oh come on, honey, its summer and he's probably hot," Dad said with a chuckle.

"I don't care if he's hot; I will not have my son running around naked as a jaybird!"

End of Flashback.

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Pony shook his head. "I don't remember that."

"I don't see how you could forget it, Mom was so mad that you had thrown off all your cloths and then took Darry's boots," I told him.

We all laughed together. When I caught my breath I looked at Darry. He was grinning like an idiot and his eyes were locked on mine.

"Hey Soda, how 'bout the time you broke your arm and the painkillers made you really loopy and you did all that stupid stuff," Darry said.

Pony laughed. "I remember that, I was 12. Mom and Dad had gone on vacation for the week and Darry and I were stuck trying to get you to fall asleep.

I didn't know what they were talking about. I remembered breaking my arm, but I didn't remember acting loopy. Darry decided to refresh my memory by telling the story.

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**Flashback**

"Sodapop Curtis, would you please get off of the truck?" Darry asked.

Soda was standing on the top of the truck, dancing around and laughing like he was high, which he was. Who knew that painkillers could have such an effect on people? Darry was more worried about Soda re-breaking his arm then anything else. Pony was in the bed of the truck, trying to get Soda down. When Soda finally gave up and Darry and Pony had drug him inside he ran into the kitchen.

"Oh my gosh! Since when have we had a pink elephant?!" Soda screamed.

Darry and Pony ran into the kitchen to see Soda sitting on the table like he was riding a horse. Darry slapped his forehead. Soda was whooping and hollering.

"Darry, can I name him George?" Soda asked.

He frowned and looked at Pony.

"Hey Pone, it is a 'he' right?"

Without giving Pony a chance to answer Soda leaned over and looked under the table.

"Yep, defiantly a he," he inquired.

This went on for about an hour before Soda finally crashed on the couch.

End of flashback.

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"Wait a minute, if I did all that stuff then how come I don't remember it?" I demanded.

"Cause, little buddy, you were high on painkillers," Darry told me.

"But seriously? A pink elephant? I really thought the table was a pink elephant? And I named it George? Who does that?" I demanded.

"You did," Pony said with a giggle.

I shot him a look and then faked a smile.

"Thank you, Pony, if you hadn't told me I would have never known," I said.

Darry stretched his arms above his head and yawned.

"Alright, I don't know about you two, but I'm beat," he said.

I had to admit, I was pretty tired myself. All three of us climbed into the tent and changed into our pajamas before crawling under our blankets. I draped an arm around Pony's shoulder.

"Night Pony, night Darry," I yawned.

"Night Soda," they said in union.

I was fast asleep within seconds.

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**Well how was it? Please review! I want to give a special shout-out to Padamajedward for her spectacular idea about having the Curtis's tell stories! Thanks guys and stay golden!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh my gosh you guys, over 800 views! Y'all are amazing! Please read, enjoy and don't forget to R&R.**

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Pony's POV

I woke up to what sounded like thunder, turns out it was Soda's snoring. I wiggled out from under his arm and poked my head outside the tent. The sun was up and Darry was whistling over the fire. Since when did Darry whistle? I shrugged it off and walked out of the tent, grabbing my clothes and going behind a tree to change. Once I was dressed I looked up at the sky and noticed that dark clouds were rolling in. Great, with our luck it would dump water on us. The tents not even waterproof!

"Pony, go wake Soda up and tell him its time to eat!" Darry called.

I nodded and crawled back into the tent. Soda was still snoring up a storm and a thin line of drool hung from his bottom lip. I shook his shoulder.

"Hey Soda, wake up," I said.

In response all I got was a louder snore. I rolled my eye and shook my brother again.

"Soda wake up!" I yelled.

He jolted upwards with a gasp; scaring me and making me jump back a few feet. Soda ran a hid over his face and moaned

"Pony, can't you let a man sleep?" he demanded.

"Darry says it's time to get up and get breakfast," I told him.

"Better not be sawdust," he muttered as he crawled out of the tent.

While Darry was finishing up with the food Soda got dressed. We all sat around the fire eating breakfast. It wasn't toast. Darry surprised us with bacon. How he managed to keep it cold was a mystery to me. Somehow the bacon tasted better here then it did at home, must be the smoke or something.

After we had finished eating I walked over to Darry's pack and dug around, hoping he packed…yes! He had packed the football. I grabbed it up and grinned.

"Hey Soda, let's toss a few," I said.

Soda jumped up from his seat and took off running.

"Race ya!" he yelled.

I ran after him, not sure exactly where we were racing to. I was right behind Soda when he stopped suddenly, making me run into him. We sprawled out on the ground and Soda started cracking up.

"I won," he announced.

I was gonna argue, but I decided that Soda would probably just confuse me more if I did. I got off of my brother and glanced around. We had stopped in a clearing and in front of us was a ravine. I walked over to where I had dropped the football and picked it up. Thunder cracked in the distance and the wind picked up. Soda took his jacket off and set it on the ground, only to have it blow away in the wind. He shrugged.

"I'll find it later," he said.

Soda and I tossed the ball for a while before I smiled largely. I backed up a few paces and hefted the ball into the air.

"Soda go long!" I shouted.

I threw the football with a great force and Soda ran back. He caught it, but in doing so he slipped and tumbled into the ravine with a shout! My heart leapt into my throat and I rushed to the edge, leaning over. Soda was at the bottom, rocking back and forth and clutching his ankle.

"Soda, you okay?" I called.

He looked up at me with a grim expression.

"Ponyboy, if it's not too much trouble would you go get Darry? I think I broke something!" he shouted.

I jumped up and ran back to the camp as fast as I could.

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Darry's POV

"Ow, take it easy Darry!" Soda yelped as I wrapped a bandage around his left ankle.

"Sorry, little buddy, but it's got to be tight, you sprained your ankle pretty badly," I said.

Pony stood by, watching me bandage our brother. After we had finished Soda outta the ravine I had to carry him back to the camp and now I was nursing him back to heath. The wind had really picked up and if we hadn't been in the tent it would have blown away. Soda shuddered and I realized that he didn't have his jacket.

"Pony, go find Soda's jacket," I ordered.

"Sure Darry," he answered.

He left the tent and I finished wrapping up Soda's ankle.

* * *

Too much time had passed and I was getting nervous. It had been an hour and Pony still wasn't back yet. I could tell Soda was getting worried too cause he was twiddling his thumbs and sighing a lot. That was it, I couldn't take this.

"I'm gonna go look for him," I said.

"I'm coming too," Soda said.

"Sorry, little buddy, but you're not going anywhere on that ankle," I told him.

"Come on, Dar, he's my brother too," Soda protested.

"Soda, you stay here, I'll go find him."

Without giving my kid brother another chance to argue I got out of the tent and started walking. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a flash of lightning lit up the sky. A felt a drop of rain land on my forehead and roll down my cheek. Great, Pony was out here in the rain and I didn't know if he was hurt or not. I walked for a long time before I caught sight of something. I ran towards it. As I got closer the object transformed into a figure. I was guessing that the figure was Pony. He was lying under a tree, completely still!

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**Dun, dun, duuuunnnnnnn! Yes it was short and I'm sorry for that, but I wanted to leave y'all with a cliffhanger. Please review and I'll update ASAP. Stay golden!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright this is going better then I thought. Over 1,000 views! Thanks for all the reviews y'all make this story! Enjoy and please, please, please R&R.**

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Soda's POV

I sat in the tent, listening to the wind, waiting anxiously. I kept glancing outside. I didn't like this; I didn't like this one bit! It was starting to rain. I knew this cause the tent was leaking and a few drops had hit my head. I was about ready to go looking for my brothers when I heard the shout.

"Soda, make room in the tent!"

It was Darry! I moved as far back as I could and Darry came into the tent, a limp Ponyboy in his arms! Pony's face was battered and he was wheezing! Darry laid Pony out on a blanket and set to work taking off his shoes and covering him up.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Your jacket blew into a tree, Pony tried to get it and fell out," Darry answered, pulling a blanket around Pony.

"Did he tell you?" I asked.

"No, I saw your jacket in the tree that Pone was lying under and I figure out the rest on my own."

I looked down at the still figure of my brother. He looked so pale, and his breathing was horrible!

"What's wrong with him?" I said, my voice urgent.

"Soda move back, I don't know I need to check him out," Darry told me.

I moved back and watched as Darry started checking out my baby brother. A tear traced my cheek and I flicked it away. I hoped he was gonna be okay! Darry lifted up Pony's shirt and pressed down over Pony's ribs. Pony gasped in his state of unconsciousness and arched his back.

"Broken?" I asked quietly.

Darry nodded grimly. "And I think one of the broken ribs is tearing his lung, which is why he's wheezing."

As if to prove Darry right Pony coughed and a tiny bit of blood sprayed on his lips. I gasped.

"I'm going for help," Darry said.

"Darry, you can't, you need to stay here with Pony cause I don't know what to do for him. I'll go for help," I offered.

"Soda you'd never make it on that ankle, and there's a storm out there and that would only slow you down."

"Darry, I'm going. You need to stay with Ponyboy!"

Darry looked at me with tears in his eyes. He knew that Pony need help, but he was also trying to think about me.

"Darry, I can do it," I assured him.

He nodded. "Be careful Sodapop."

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Pony's POV

Pain. It was the pain that brought me back to consciousness. My head was pounding, but worse then that I was having trouble breathing and my chest felt like it was on fire. My eyes slowly fluttered open and at first everything was blurred. I blinked several times before I could see again. Darry was sitting next to me, staring off into the distance. I noticed for the first time that I was cold and wet. I looked around. We were in the tent, but I could see that it had been moved under a tree. Why? What had happened? Oh yeah. I fell outta the tree. I licked my cracked lips and a sharp cough erupted from my throat. Darry leaned over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Easy, Pony, take it easy," he said gently.

Once the coughs subsided I winced in pain. My chest was burning and the pain was almost unbearable!

"It hurts, Darry," I croaked.

"I know, Soda went for help. Just lay still baby," he whispered.

He was being awfully gentle. What was wrong with me? I could tell by the pain in my chest that I had broken my ribs, but would Darry really be this gentle just because of that?

"Darry, what's wrong with me?" I wheezed.

It was getting even harder to breathe now.

"You broke your ribs Pone, now don't move," he told me.

I could tell he was hiding something, but what? Another round of coughs escaped and when they were through I felt something wet on my lips. I licked it. It tasted salty. Blood. I was coughing up blood! It then struck me. My broken ribs were poking into my lungs. I panicked. I struggled to sit up, but Darry held my shoulders down.

"Easy Pony, easy. Don't move!" he shouted.

I started screaming and kicking. This made the pain worse, but I didn't care! I was scared silly and panic had taken over my body. Finally I fell back exhausted and struggling to breathe. Darry had tears in his eyes as he straddled my body, trying to keep my still. I started crying and Darry lifted me into a sitting position, cradling my head in his shoulder.

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Darry's POV

I sat there, holding my baby brother in my arms. He had fallen asleep moments ago and I listened to his rattled breathing. Tears stained my cheeks. I couldn't loose my baby, I just couldn't. I placed my hand on his forehead and found it burning hot. I knew that the rain wasn't helping any. Even though I moved the tent under the trees the rain was still leaking inside. I had moved Pony to the farthest corner but the water was still dripping on him. My baby brother shivered in my arms and I held him closer. I looked out into the rain.

"Come on, Soda, you have to make it," I mumbled, "You have to bring back help."

Pony moaned and I laid him back down, covering him with the blankets. I didn't know if it was easier for him to breath sitting up or lying down. Another coughing fit took hold of him and more blood sprayed on his lips. I wiped it away and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

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Soda's POV

I stumbled through the blinding rain, clinging to the stick that I was using as a crutch. Darry had given me his jacket, but that didn't fight away the chilling cold that was biting at my skin. My hair hung in my face, droplets of water splashing onto my cheeks and forehead. I was tempted to give up, but I had to do this for Pony.

The ground was muddy and my crutch kept slipping out from under me, forcing me to but my sprained ankle on the ground to keep from falling over. It hurt like heck, but there was no way I was stopping. Bright flashes of lightning cracked across the sky and the thunder rumbled in the distance. It was so dark that I couldn't see five feet in front of my face.

Just then my feet slipped out from under me and I tumbled down a steep incline. I landed hard and I heard something in my bad ankle pop. White hot pain shot up my leg and I cried out. I sat there in the mud, panting until I could breathe normal again. I knew what had happened. I had just broken my ankle. Great, just great. I shook my head, clearing away the fog, and slowly, carefully, got to my feet. The pain was intense, but I pushed through it and kept moving. After hours of what seemed like endless torture I finally made it to the road. I didn't know how I had gotten here, but that didn't matter. I fell to my knees, breathing hard and hoping that I would see headlights. I was shivering from the cold and fear. Fear that Pony was dead at this very moment. Fear that no one would drive down this road.

It was that fear that worked me up so much that I tipped forward into unconsciousness.

* * *

There was a hand on my shoulder and a voice that followed, speaking gentle words.

"Son? Son, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

I blinked away the rain from my eyes and looked up to see a shadow standing in the light of a car. He looked down at me with worried eyes. The rain was still falling in sheets and for a moment I was confused. Then I remembered.

"Boy, can you move? Are you hurt?" the man asked.

"My brothers…they need help, please help them," I mumbled.

I was dazed and soaked through to the bone. The pain in my ankle had spiked and it felt like fire. The man grabbed my under the arms and haled me up. I cried out as he picked me up and set me in his truck.

"Take it easy, son, we're gonna get help," the man said.

That was the last thing I heard before blacking out again.

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**Almost finished. What'd y'all think? I decided that we had seen enough humor and it was time for some hurt/comfort stuff. Please review and I'll have the next chapter done ASAP. Stay golden!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter so sad. Again, thank you so much for all the reviews! Read, enjoy and don't forget to R&R.**

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Pony's POV

I was getting worse. No one had to tell me, it wasn't hard to figure out. I knew that I couldn't last very long with a punctured lung. My coughing fits were getting more frequent and they stretched out longer. Darry cradled my shivering body the whole time, rocking me back and forth. He stroked my hair and spoke gently, but I never heard a word he said. At one point the pain got so bad that I started screaming.

"Darry, make it stop! Make it stop!" I wailed.

In my distant mind I heard him crying, but it didn't seem to matter. My sides were burning and I was alternating between shivering and overheating. I was glad it had stopped raining cause I was wet enough as it was.

Hours later I heard something. It was a distant rumbling, but it wasn't thunder. What was that? Darry heard it too. He flipped his head up and loosened his grip on me, as if he were going to run outta the tent. Then he tightened his grip and pulled me out of the tent and into the chilling night air. I was shaking even more now and Darry held me in his arms like a baby. I clutched his shirt as another wave of pain ran through me. Suddenly I couldn't breath! No matter how much I sucked in there was no air. I started choking and sputtering. I heard shouts, but they were so faint. I felt the sensation of floating and then there was nothing.

* * *

Darry's POV

Pony started choking and I looked down at him. His eyes were wide with fright and he was clutching my shirt in a death grip. I panicked. I set him on the ground, trembling, not knowing what to do. Then I heard the shouts as people emerged from the trees. They were all dressed in blue and white uniforms. A search and rescue team.

Then Pony stopped breathing. I freaked. I stood up and started waving my arms in the air.

"Over here!" I shouted, "Hurry!"

I went back to my brother, but was pulled out of the way as men pushed their way to Pony. I sat back, watching helplessly as they worked on my brother. I was asked questions and I answered them absentmindedly as I kept my eyes riveted on Ponyboy. We were loaded into a helicopter that had landed in a clearing and a blanket was draped over my shoulders, but all I could think about was Pony. Was he going to make it?

* * *

Soda's POV

My eyes flickered open and I saw a blurred face above me. I blinked as the face came into focus. Darry. A small smile came to my lips.

"Hey, little buddy, how ya doing?" Darry asked.

"Okay," I croaked, "Is Pony alright?"

Darry's eyes clouded over and I almost broke into tears. No! Not my Ponyboy! Not my baby!

"They have him in surgery," Darry answered.

My heart slowed some and I sighed. Okay good, he was still alive. Darry shifted in his seat and took hold of my hand.

"Doctors told me that you came around long enough to tell them where we were before you passed out again," he told me.

I vaguely remembered that. Things were still a little fuzzy, but I knew that I was at the hospital and I knew that Pony was alright. That's all that mattered. Darry cracked a slight smile.

"Doctors also tell me that you broke your ankle in three different places, how'd you manage that?" he demanded.

"Fell down a hill," I muttered.

"Must have been some hill for you to have three breaks," he chuckled.

I slugged his arm and then leaned back in my pillow. Something told me I was gonna be cooped up in this bed for some time.

* * *

I finally convinced the nurse to let me outta the bed and go see Pony. He had gotten out of surgery the night before and the nurse had forced me to stay put. Darry had spent the whole night with him and reported that he was doing fine.

The nurse wheeled me into Pony's room and what I saw made me want to cry. My brother's pale form lay in the small bed and he had tubes and wires connected to his body. I knew why. Darry had told me about how he had stopped breathing and his heart had also stopped during the surgery, but only for about a minute. The nurse left and I wheeled over to Pony's bed. Darry was sitting in the chair and he helped me up onto the edge of the bed. I took my baby brother's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. Pony opened his eyes and gave me a faint smile.

"Hey Soda," he whispered.

"Hey baby, you're going to be just fine," I told him.

"I wanna go home," he said.

Darry leaned over and placed his large hand over mine and Pony's. he smiled at us.

"Don't worry, as soon as you can leave we'll go straight home," he said.

"Good," Pony whispered.

I couldn't help but grin. Tears were welding in my eyes. Call me a softie, but this moment meant the world to me.

**The End**

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**So what'd you guys think? Please, please, please, let me know! Also, if you want, I would be glad to write a story for y'all, just PM me and let me know, no sex content, that's my only limit. Stay golden!**


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